The Thorsby Town Council voted 3-2 to affirm a previous action taken to terminate former Fire Chief Lee Gunn during an appeal hearing at its May 21 meeting.

Councilwoman Marilyn Collins made the motion to affirm the termination. Councilman Marvin Crumpton seconded the motion.

The motion then went to a vote of the council members. Collins, Crumpton and Chastity Chapman voted in favor of the termination, while Neil Benson and Glenn Littleton voted in opposition of it.

Mayor Robert Hight did not take part in the vote.

According to John Hollis Jackson Jr., the town’s attorney, the three options available to the council were to affirm the action, reverse the action or modify the action and subscribe a lesser penalty.

Prior to the final vote, Littleton motioned to modify the action. However, the motion did not receive enough votes to be approved.

Littleton stated Gunn’s history with the town and the success of the fire department under his watch as the reasoning behind his motion and vote.

Gunn had been Thorsby’s fire chief since 1993.

According to Jackson Jr., Hight received a grievance from an employee and issued a letter of termination of Gunn after looking into the matter.

Gunn appealed the letter of termination in the rightful allotted time.

The vote was taken following a lengthy executive session.